Growth in data traffic driven by smart phone devices, tablets, etc. can strain the capacity of wireless networks. One approach, used by the wireless industry, to address the growth in data traffic has been network densification wherein small cells are used to increase reuse of licensed spectrum, which continues to be scarce and expensive. Additionally, network operators have also increasingly utilized unlicensed spectrum (e.g., WiFi spectrum) to cope with the increasing capacity demand.
One industry trend facilitating greater cooperation across licensed and unlicensed radio networks is the adoption and deployment of integrated multi-radio small cells with co-located unlicensed (e.g., WiFi) and licensed radio spectrum interfaces. Integrated cells allow for leveraging common infrastructure and site locations, reducing the operational and capital expenditures of network operators. As networks move towards smaller cell sizes, the footprints of cellular and WiFi coverage may increasingly overlap, making such deployments feasible.
Control plane signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Configuration (“RRC”) signaling, which may be used for, for instance, measurement reports, secondary cell configuration, and inter-radio access technology “RAT” session transfers) may incur delays with a typical average latency of 20-30 (or more) milliseconds. Further, frequent use of RRC signaling may be relatively expensive from a signaling overhead point of view.